Diet for stomach cancer: what should be excluded?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

One of the most common oncological pathologies is stomach cancer. The tumor begins to develop in the mucosa, rapidly spreading throughout the body, affecting other organs - the liver, esophagus, and even the lungs.

Treatment of the disease is not only chemotherapy and medications, but also a strict diet for stomach cancer. It is aimed specifically at facilitating the course of the disease, as well as contributing to the speedy rehabilitation in the postoperative period.

Cancer stages

Oncopathologies, like any other diseases, develop gradually. Diagnosing stomach cancer at an early stage is almost impossible without special laboratory tests. Most of the time this happens by accident. There are 4 stages in total:

1. At this stage, the disease is just beginning to develop, being exclusively in the gastric mucosa. It does not affect muscle tissue. An early form of cancer is completely curable by surgery, as well as the use of radiation and chemotherapy.
2. A more advanced but still treatable case is stage 2 stomach cancer. The tumor penetrates the serous membrane, the lymph nodes begin to respond topathological processes in the body. After surgery and a course of chemotherapy, it is extremely important to be under the strict supervision of a specialist, as well as to follow a diet.
3. This stage is considered inoperable, but some doctors still agree to complex operations. Great risk of death. The tumor at the 3rd stage spreads deep into the muscle tissue, and metastasizes to the regional lymph nodes. The body begins to worry about debilitating pains that are not eliminated by ordinary analgesics. Moreover, there is constant nausea, vomiting, digestive disorders. Most often, patients with the third stage of cancer turn to specialists.
4. An advanced stage, which, unfortunately, cannot be cured. At this stage, the maternal tumor disintegrates, and metastases affect the entire body. Irreversible consequences occur: refusal of food, general exhaustion, weight loss and excruciating pain. All specialists can do to help is to ease the course of the disease.

How to treat stomach cancer?

The main method of cancer treatment is the complete removal of the detected neoplasm, followed by the use of radiation and / or chemotherapy. It is extremely important to contact a specialist in time. Only a qualified doctor can prescribe an effective method of therapy.

Also, as an adjunctive treatment, a special diet is prescribed for patients with stomach cancer. It is aimed not only at facilitating the rehabilitation of the patient, but also at preventing the formation of a relapse.

Therapeutic nutrition forstomach cancer

Due to the results of recent studies, it was possible to establish that the diet for stomach cancer should be, above all, low in calories. Heavy food negatively affects not only the physical well-being of the patient, but also the speed of recovery of the body after treatment.

As a rule, stomach cancer is always accompanied by other pathological disorders of the body. For example, gastritis is the most common "companion" of cancer. It is extremely important to prevent the development of the latter in order to eliminate the risk of an ulcer.

If stomach cancer is diagnosed as a result of research, diet, nutrition and principles of eating are prescribed strictly on an individual basis by the attending physician. Self-medication is not only ineffective, but also life-threatening.

Basic principles of nutrition

As a rule, after a patient is diagnosed with cancer, an operation is performed, as a result of which all or part of the stomach is removed. People with an advanced stage and complications stand apart, in a situation with which it simply does not make sense to perform any surgical interventions.

Depending on the severity of the disease, its form and type, the patient is prescribed an individual diet for stomach cancer. There are several groups of similar power systems:

• before and after surgery;
• life to prevent relapse;
• for inoperable patients with advanced cancer.

Recommended diet for stomach cancer: what to avoid

During the treatment of the disease and during the period of remission, it is strictly forbidden to eat food that is heavy for the stomach, foods containing a large amount of acids and animal fats, as well as fried, s alty and overly spicy foods.

Prohibited foods include the following:

• legumes;
• coarse fiber foods including red meat;
• tomato sauces;
• mushrooms;
• pickles, smoked meats, canned food and marinades;
• fatty broths;
• coffee, strong tea, carbonated and alcoholic drinks;
• unripe and sour vegetables, fruits;
• simple carbohydrates (chocolate, sugar, sweet pastries).

All these foods are contraindicated in stomach cancer. However, it should be understood that this list is incomplete. Any diet is made in a strictly individual order by a qualified doctor.

Allowed Foods

Diet for stomach cancer involves the use of products mainly in liquid, or well-boiled form. So, cereals and meat with fish are pre-boiled or steamed, after which they are turned into a puree-like mass.

To allowed, recommended food, include:

• light vegetable soups (grated);
• boiled porridge;
• white meat and fish;
• vegetable puree;
• eggs and steamed omelettes (only not hard-boiled!);
• grated cottage cheese (sour is prohibited);
• yesterday's bread (flour of the first and highest grade);
• vegetable oils (maybe a little fresh butter);
• weak tea;
• jelly, fresh fruit jelly.

Also, on the recommendation of a doctor, it is possible to add other products to the diet, or, conversely, exclude/replace some of the above.

Diet before surgery

To date, the only effective way to get rid of cancer is surgery followed by removal of the tumor. To ensure that the operation goes as smoothly as possible, the patient is warned in advance of the need to change the diet.

Diet for stomach cancer before surgery involves the use of exclusively "light" food, which the body will absorb without any difficulty. It is best if all products are grated, in the form of mashed potatoes.

It is extremely important to completely empty the intestines before surgery. It is easy to do this - you just need to correctly compose your daily diet, in which 90% of the food will be plant-based.

It is necessary to evenly distribute each of the meals throughout the day. Their optimal number is 5-6 times. Portions should not be large, and products simply must contain vitamins and substances useful to the body. This will help not only strengthen the immune system, but also speed up rehabilitation after surgery.

Diet after tumor removal

In the postoperative period, patients may experience severe stomach discomfort, including nausea andvomiting. However, this is not a reason to categorically refuse meals.

It is important to follow a clear meal schedule - from 5 or more times a day, in small portions. The diet for stomach cancer after surgery is aimed at maintaining the body, its speedy recovery. It is forbidden to take spicy, fried, s alty, canned and sour.

Bread is allowed, but it doesn't have to be fresh. It is preferable to use slightly dried pieces, but not crackers. The same goes for tea. Strong is strictly prohibited.

Shows dietary meat products - veal, turkey, chicken, nutria. It is also allowed to take fish, mucous soups and cereals (rice, oatmeal, wheat groats). Any food should be cooked by boiling, baking (no crust), or steaming. During meals, you need to observe the optimal temperature, as close as possible to the temperature of the human body.

In the first days after surgery, the doctor may recommend fasting. However, this is fully compensated by vitamin solutions administered intravenously in the initial period. After three days, you can start taking puree, and after two to three weeks, go on a diet.

Diet for inoperable patients

Diet for stomach cancer of the 3rd degree is prescribed if for some reason the doctor cannot operate on the patient. If the patient is able to eat independently, then you can eat all the "permitted" foods, as well as follow the recommendations of a specialist.

A similar diet for stage 4 stomach cancer. Often patients with severediseases do not feel hunger, as the body is completely poisoned by toxic substances - decay products.

Often, patients cannot eat on their own, as the patency of the stomach is disturbed by a tumor. In such cases, a small operation is performed, with the help of which the transportability of food around is improved. However, if it is impossible for some reason, then the diet is not prescribed at all: the nutrient mixture is injected directly into the intestine using a gastrostomy.

Prevention of stomach cancer

The appearance of precancerous conditions (ulcers, chronic gastritis, anemia, polyposis) is a good reason to consult a specialist. He will conduct a comprehensive examination, after which he will prescribe prevention, as well as methods for eliminating existing problems.

"Self" prevention is also possible. All you need is to radically revise your own diet: fatty, fried, spicy, s alty and smoked foods should be kept to a minimum. The best thing to do is to avoid it completely. It is also highly recommended not to abuse alcohol and drugs (in particular, analgesics, antibiotics and corticoids).

It is better to prevent any problem than to fix it. Smart eating is the right step towards a he althy body.